Tom Reed has announced that former congressman Bill Paxon has agreed to join the Reed for Congress team as Honorary Co-Chair. “It’s very humbling to have the support of two very prominent former members of Congress from western New York leading our effort,” Reed said. “With Amo Houghton and Bill Paxon behind us, we are even better supported and prepared to run a campaign to bring a common- sense financial approach to Washington, DC.”

“Things can sometimes change quickly in politics, but one thing that hasn’t and will not change is Tom Reed’s commitment to fight against bigger government and reckless spending in Washington,” Paxon commented. “I am pleased to put my full support behind Tom Reed. He stood up to say enough is enough even when it meant he would be the underdog. That’s the kind of fighter we need.”

“When he was in Congress working for upstate New York, Bill Paxon was tough on those who carelessly borrowed and spent taxpayers money, and I will be the same,” Reed said. “His support is a big boost for us. After eight months of tireless campaigning, more than 1200 volunteers have joined us. That grassroots base of support will be what carries us to a win in November. We won’t stop until we win the trust of every voter across the 29th Congressional District.”

Republican Congressional candidate Tom Reed released the following statement regarding
Congressman Eric Massa’s surprise retirement announced this afternoon:

“I was saddened to hear that Congressman Massa’s health will preclude him from running for re-
election. While the Congressman and I disagreed on political issues, I respect his military and
public service and wish him the best.

Our campaign continues moving forward with a message of smaller government and resistance to
government takeovers of health care and private enterprises. We began this campaign to bring
common sense and financial responsibility to Washington and we will continue to November.

I have spoken with county Republican chairs and all have pledged continued support for our
campaign. We look forward to welcoming a Democratic candidate to the race.”

In light of a report regarding Congressman Charles Rangel released by the House ethics committee
days ago, Tom Reed this morning called on Congressman Eric Massa to return $67,822 that
Massa’s campaign committee received through Rangel’s fund raising committees.

According to Federal Election Commission records, Congressman Massa accepted a total of
$67,822 ($50,822 through the Rangel Victory Fund, $11,000 from Rangel’s National Leadership
PAC and $6,000 from Rangel for Congress), from Rangel during the 2008 and 2010 election cycles.
The most recent transfer from Rangel to Massa was made just months ago in 2009 when
Congressman Rangel hosted a fund raiser for Massa at the home of a Washington DC lobbyist.

The House ethics committee report finds Rangel guilty of violating House gift rules by accepting
corporate-sponsored trips to the Caribbean in 2007 and 2008, a clear violation of House rules. There is a
much larger ethics investigation focusing on Rangel’s belated financial disclosure of hundreds of
thousands of dollars in previously unreported assets and income and other charges.

“People in the 29th Congressional District work honestly and pay their taxes,” Reed said. “In light
of House ethics committee’s report and investigations, I call upon Congressman Massa to do the
right thing and return the nearly $68,000 he has received from Congressman Rangel.”

Congressman Massa is one of just eight House members to accept money from Congressman
Rangel’s PAC in 2009.

#####

“I salute the effort to finally get everyone around the same table to discuss where to go from here
at today’s healthcare summit,” Tom Reed said in reaction to today’s health care summit in
Washington. “This is how it should have been done in the first place a year ago. Having said that, I
was disappointed that the day was long on theater but short on compromise,” Reed said.

“This isn’t a re-start as much as it was a sales presentation by both sides,” Reed observed. “They
cannot just take the Senate bill, make cosmetic changes, then ram it through the House. I hope that
the Democratic leadership in the House will do the right thing and re-start the process.”

“We’re talking about people’s lives and one sixth of the U.S. economy,” Reed continued. “Whatever
new regulations Congress enacts cannot have negative budget ramifications for families or
businesses. And we all must be treated equally – no special deals for certain states.”

While Reed was disappointed by the partisan tone from both sides of the summit, he noted that
what the public saw today today was yet another good example of what is at stake in this year’s
elections. “Will the voters choose Democratic control and further expansion of government
involvement in our lives and become a European-style welfare state?” Reed asks, “Or will we
choose to embrace individual initiative and less government?”

Reed was pleased to hear insuring those with pre existing conditions, helping the non-insured and
under-insured, and tort reform as part of the conversation. “Hopefully the Democratic leadership in
the House will allow debate on new concepts, particularly competition,” Reed said. “Instead of
being forced into a particular plan by their employer, people should be able to choose. Allowing
patients to choose health plans in an open market will force health insurance companies, health
care providers and pharmaceutical companies to compete by offering plans, services and products
based on market needs and demands.”

#####

Congressional candidate Tom Reed is urging members of both parties to “Stop the insanity” in the Federal budget. “We must immediately begin to live within our means,” Reed said. “Just like any family or business. We cannot bankrupt the nation. Our children and grandchildren deserve better. The borrowing must stop.”

Reed outlined several immediate and specific principles that Congress should use as a guide as it begins considering the $3.8 trillion budget submitted by the White House.

1) No new domestic discretionary spending and a re-examination of ALL current spending.

2) The more than $200 billion unallocated “stimulus” funds should NOT be borrowed and spent.

3) The $700 million TARP fund repaid by banks should be returned to the treasury and not used to fund new spending.

4) A hard cap on ALL spending indexed to rate of inflation. (The proposed spending freeze would halt increases for only a $447 billion – less than 12% of the budget.)

5) In a struggling economy, we cannot raise taxes on businesses – businesses, not the government, are the source of new jobs.

6) We must recognize the massive unfunded liabilities in Social Security and Medicare and create a plan to keep those programs solvent to meet promises made to tax payers.

7) Absolutely no so-called second stimulus package. The first was a failure in that it did not make any long term improvement in the economy despite nearly $800 billion of borrowed money.

“I call on Congressman Massa and all members of Congress to recognize the fiscal reality and vote against all 2011 any new or increased appropriations except for national defense or programs that go directly to job creation,” Reed said. “It is time to stop the insanity and stop borrowing.”

#####

Congressional Candidate Tom Reed disclosed yesterday that his campaign had raised over $230,000 as of Dec. 31, 2009 for the effort to unseat Congressman Eric Massa. The Reed campaign surpassed its goal of $200,000 raised since Reed announced his candidacy last summer.

“We needed to raise at least $200,000 during the first two filings and we accomplished that,” Reed said. “This early money is the critical seed money for our campaign and we are off to a good start. Our support has really taken off since we have begun the race and it will grow as Election Day gets closer.”

“Congressman Massa has had hundreds of thousands of dollars of PAC and special interest money poured into his campaign,” Reed commented, noting that Massa has another $1500 a plate fund raiser coming up in Washington in just 10 days. We don’t have the PACS and lobbyists lining our pockets like he does, but we’re going to win because our money is coming from individuals here in the district at the grassroots level.”

“And we will spend the resources we have more efficiently over the course of the campaign, the same way we will govern,” Reed said. “Congressman Massa’s campaign has spent more than $400,000 dollars in just 2009, including airplane tickets, car leases, and more than $60,000 in credit card payments.”

#####

Congressional candidate Tom Reed described his overall reaction as “disappointed” to tonight’s State of
the Union Address by President Obama.

“I was glad to hear the President say that his priority was job creation and that he realized that small
businesses are the engines that drive our economy,” Reed said. “I hope it isn’t just rhetoric. I hope the
leaders of his own party enact some of the things he proposed.”

“However, I’m tired of talk. I didn’t hear anything that demonstrated that the President is listening to the
American people,” Reed lamented. “He has not listened to the people telling him to slow down on health
care reform, and he paid but brief lip service to controlling spending and balancing the budget. To create
long term prosperity and to encourage the kind of private investment that will put people back to work,
we have to get federal spending under control. Government is not the answer, individuals are.”

“The spending freeze is a good thought,” Reed continued, “but it only applies to a small portion of the
budget. Meanwhile, the 2010 deficit in the budget the President proposed and Congressman Massa voted
for is well over a trillion borrowed dollars. We are $12 trillion in debt and we cannot continue adding
more than a trillion dollars to the debt every year.”

“There was absolutely no renewed commitment to transparency either,” Reed observed. “Nothing I will
do in Washington will be done behind closed doors. I wish others would commit to that as well.”

“One thing is clear,” Reed said. “Nothing is changing in Washington. Our children and grandchildren
are going to pay for the lack of leadership in Washington. We need serious solutions not just more pretty
words.”

#####

The Communist USA Party is applauding Congressman Massa’s decision to become a co-sponsor of
Rep. Dennis Kucinich’s “Privileged Resolution to End the Afghan War”. Massa’s co-sponsorship was
noted on the Communist Party website cpusa.org in a Jan. 21 article written by Communist Party
political chair Joelle Fishman.

Massa has called for a withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan and in December he told the Elmira
Star-Gazette that he would vote against any future appropriation funding for the war in Afghanistan.
Congressional candidate Tom Reed urged Congressional leaders to continue the effort to eradicate
terrorist elements in Afghanistan. “I again say that we cannot allow the Taliban to re-establish an
operational base from which Al Qaeda can launch another major attack on the United States,” Reed
said. “Retreating from Afghanistan puts America and our allies at greater risk and will further
destabilize not only Afghanistan, but Pakistan as well.”

Sponsoring such a resolution may score more political points for Eric Massa with his California
contributors,” Reed continued, “But it shows a lack of support for our troops and plays into the hands
of our enemies, telling them to hang on because we will quit and retreat.”

“Many brave Americans have made the ultimate sacrifice in Afghanistan,” Reed observed. “Retreating
now dishonors the sacrifices they have made to keep America safe. Politics is less important than
ensuring the security of our country and our families.”

#####

This morning Tom Reed congratulated United States Senator-Elect Scott Brown of Massachusetts,
calling Brown’s victory a “blow against politics as usual.”

“Voters in one of the most Democratic states have said that enough is enough from the Democratic
leadership,” Reed observed. “Going back to my campaign announcement six months ago, this is why we
are running,” Reed said. “The government has to stop out of control spending. Scott Brown ran on a
message of limiting government. It’s the financial irresponsibility and arrogant governing style that is
angering voters.”

“What the voters of Massachusetts said to Washington DC yesterday is consistent with everything I hear
from people here in upstate New York,” Reed continued. “We cannot live on credit and borrow our way
back into prosperity.

This is a wake-up call to Congressman Massa and the Democratic leadership,” Reed concluded. “The
borrowing has to stop. Massa supported his leadership in voting for over a trillion dollars of so-called
stimulus borrowing and new appropriations spending in 2009. Let’s hope that 2010 is different.”

#####

Tom Reed this morning called Eric Massa’s recent comments to the Hornell Evening Tribune “troubling” and “more evidence that Eric Massa is out of touch with the economic situation in Western New York.” Last Sunday Massa told the Tribune that the $787 billion borrowed on the backs of tax payers by the Stimulus package is “having a positive impact” since unemployment has not gone higher than 10 percent.”

“According to the New York State Department of Labor, the Southern Tier region is losing jobs faster than the rest of the state and Steuben County, where Hornell is located, has the highest unemployment rate in upstate New York,” Reed observed. “For Congressman Massa to make those comments in Hornell shows that he is at best out of touch with our local economy and at worst insensitive to the situation.”

“We can’t expect Congressman Massa, who has never created a single job, meet a payroll, or balance a budget, to understand the challenges that we face,” Reed said. “But to say that the $787 billion borrowed is having a positive impact when unemployment is 10% shows a troubling misunderstanding of our local economy. Even the Associated Press recently concluded that the stimulus spending has created no local jobs.”

“We cannot borrow our way to prosperity,” Reed said. “We have to stop borrowing. The spending binge has to stop and even though he voted for and supports the stimulus, I call on Congressman Massa to oppose any future so-called stimulus proposals.”

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